If any of you are feeling bloody minded enough to want to get your own 0870 or better still 0871 number you can do so here:-


www.nktelecom.co.uk

Then just select "Simple Number Translation" from the drop down "Quick Online Ordering" box.

There is unfortunately no revenue share offered for their entirely free 087x number setup service for low call volumes but on the other hand number setup is entirely instant (087x calls can be redirected to any geographic uk landline number) and automatic and the satisfaction involved in giving a customer service department an 0871 number to call you back on could be immense.  Or at least one would be making a point even if all the extra calling costs for 087x will in this case pass to NK Telecom and I doubt they make much on a number specially reserved for such infrequent use.

I spoke to these guys and they are a pretty slick and professional telecoms operator.  Also they do offer some genuinely useful 087x NTS services that do actually seem to represent the late lamented 087x "value added services" to which Ofcom so regularly refers.  These take the form of both 0870 fax to email and 0870 voice to email services both of which work very well indeed (the voice to email message comes through as a wave file attachment to an email) and I would not have a guilty conscience about using the 0870 fax number since the main people still wanting to send me faxes are customer service departments on 0870 numbers!

This firm seems to be the only one who will set up an 0870 and 0871 number for you online both automatically and instantly and without requring you to be a company.